The 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri lanka is still remembered for the magnificent helicopter shot by Mahendra Singh Dhoni that went for a six and won the trophy for the hosts at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. But one more talked about moment of the match took place at the coin toss where some sort of confusion occurred between the two captains – Dhoni (India) and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka – due to the noise in the crowd.
Speaking in an Instagram Live chat with Ravichandran Ashwin on his latest episode of ‘Reminiscence with Ash’, the former Sri Lanka captain shed light on what exactly went down at the coin toss at Wankhede Stadium in that memorable match.
“The was crowd was huge. It never happens in Sri Lanka. Once I had this at Eden Gardens when I could not talk to the first slip and then of course at the Wankhede. I remember calling on the toss then Mahi wasn’t sure and said did you call tail and I said no I called head,” Sangakkara said.
“The match referee actually said I won the toss, Mahi said he did not. There was a little bit of confusion there and Mahi said let’s have another toss of the coin and heads went up again,” he added.
“I am not sure whether it was luck that I won. I believe probably India might have batted if I had lost,” the former left-handed batsman further said.
Talking about not being able to win the trophy, Sangakkara said: ”Whether we win or lose, we have this equilibrium on how to take a win or loss. The smile hides a huge amount of sadness, of disappointment, of thinking of 20 million people back in Sri Lanka who had been waiting for this for so long, since 1996. We had an opportunity in 2011, opportunity in 2007, then T20 opportunities in 2009 and 2012.”
